﻿﻿Lindsey Simerly for Asheville City Council﻿﻿﻿

Lindsey Simerly - Elect a Proven Leader and Fighter to City Council

Yes, that's a full-sleeve tattoo that spells Asheville. It's just one example of Lindsey Simerly's love for the people and place that makes Asheville our home.

Lindsey Simerly, age 31, with her fiancee Melissa and their daughter, Peyton. Lindsey and her family live in East Asheville with their dog, cat, and chickens.

Vote for Our Future.​Vote for Affordabilityand Opportunity.

Vote Lindsey - Nov. 3

Our rapid growth, visible from downtown to the city limits, has pushed people down and out even as it moves others up and in. Many of us are struggling as a result of the lack of affordability and opportunity--poverty is widespread, housing costs too much. Our students face an achievement gap. We are adding jobs and employers, but mostly jobs paying low wages. Our fiscal stability has been undermined by the Legislature.

Our major challenge is: Will we accept every issue as a challenge to create more affordability and more opportunity, to build more partnerships, to become more diverse and more sustainable? Will we have the insight and courage to effectively advocate for and deliver a better Asheville for all our people?

Lindsey Simerly's Decade of Policy & Public Service

Effectively Leading on Affordable Housing. As Chair of Affordable Housing Advisory Committee since 2011, leading on multi-faceted strategies for affordability. Results: more truly affordable homes for the people of Asheville--real people in real homes; policies now in place that will continue to create more affordable housing; strategic plans to build more truly affordable housing and reduce poverty and homelessness for our residents.

Effectively Fighting for Equity and Fairness. As Campaign Manager for the Campaign for Southern Equality. Results:CSE was instrumental in fighting for marriage equality in North Carolina, which we achieved just last October.

Effectively Fighting to Protect Our Environment. As Campaign Manager for Dogwood Alliance. Results: we successfully lobbied the public and the corporate decision-makers to make Yum! Brands choose more sustainable packaging, thereby protecting southern forests.

Volunteering and Working to Elect Effective Advocates for Working People. City Council, County Commission, Democratic Party, and U.S. House of Representatives campaign worker, for Holly Jones, Brownie Newman, Gordon Smith, Buncombe County Democratic Party, and Heath Shuler.﻿ Read more

Our rapid growth, visible from downtown to the city limits, has pushed people down and out even as it moves others up and in. Many of us are struggling as a result of the lack of affordability and opportunity--poverty is widespread, housing costs too much. Our students face an achievement gap. We are adding jobs and employers, but mostly jobs paying below living wage. Our fiscal stability has been undermined by the Legislature.

Our major challenge is: Will we accept every issue as a challenge to create more affordability and more opportunity, to build more partnerships, to become more diverse and more sustainable? Will we have the insight and courage to effectively advocate for and deliver a better Asheville for all our people? Read more about the issues here.

Lindsey, left, with her daughter Peyton and fiancee Melissa. Lindsey is Chair of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and a homeowner in Haw Creek.

“I’ve fought to give working people a chance having experienced firsthand what it means to work full-time and yet still struggle to make rent. I’ve been fighting for full LGBT ﻿equality while knowing firsthand what discrimination feels like.

These experiences set me apart---and that’s a voice we need now on City Council."

- Lindsey Simerly

A Different Kind of Council Candidate

In some ways, I don’t fit the mold of an elected official. I am gay. I have tattoos. I am 31 years old. I have been poor and I've worked my way into a more secure life.

Throughout this, I've engaged the public and elected officials on difficult policy issues and collaborated with diverse stakeholders. I've worked professionally and as a volunteer on local political campaigns.

These are all pieces of me that shape the way I look at the world. They are also why I can understand Asheville in different ways than other candidates and members of Council.

Diversity is strength, and I would collaborate with and complement our deeply talented and passionate Council.

Affordable Housing Advocate & Homeowner

Host your website offshore in our datacenter located in The Netherlands. We only require a valid e-mail address to setup your offshore hosting account. My fiancee Melissa and I just purchased our first house together, where we will raise our daughter Peyton. After more than a dozen years of living, working, and volunteering in Asheville while struggling to make ends meet, I am inspired and even more dedicated to our community.

On City Council I will build upon my work as the Chair of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, advancing affordability and opportunity. I will build upon my local, regional, and national experiences and successes in engaging diverse groups to address issues of fairness and equality for LGBT people. I will continue to listen. I will continue to lead.

Together we will make it possible for teachers, firefighters, baristas, hotel staff–for all of our neighbors–to have the opportunity to have a fair shot at a decent living, a safe home, and a better life for their kids.

- Lindsey

Your contribution is an investment in affordable housing, a commitment to living wage jobs, and a pledge for better neighborhoods. Thank you.

Vote for Affordability and Opportunity Vote Lindsey Simerly

For more than a decade, Lindsey Simerly has been taking a stand and working for policies that will make Asheville a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Learn more about Lindsey here. Volunteer here. Donate here. Thank you.

Vote for Affordability and Opportunity Vote Lindsey Simerly for City Council on November 3